The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-04-21
TN FLOWER LAND.
Pen Pictures of the Beauteous Land and
Scenes and Incidents of Travel.

Pen Pictures OF the beauteous Land and
Scenes and Incidents of Travel
DE LAND, FLORIDA, March Oath.
Our party were expected here
and received by the leading citizens
with music and flying banners, and
dined by them sumptuously at the
Parceland hotel. The tables fairly
groaned with delicious vegetables,
meats, fruits, cakes and other luXu-
ries. among them real butter and
cream from a well-kept dairy OF
Jersey cows in the vicinity. Toast
after toast followed the repast
(clear spring water) with most
laughabie and happy effect. Then
she carriages were announced for Il
drive over the town and though the
groves Zone including one hundred
and fifty trees to the acre. and SIX
miles out to Lake Helen to enjoy
sail on its impid waters and pass
The night at the hotel that rears its
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. by the side OF
Jhe lake.
De Land is not far from the sea
coast and is in the orange belt OF
the dowery land. 1t is u beautiful
place, anu said to be the heaithlest
in the state, and indeed presents
every indication of this fact. BUILD
ON rolling lands amidst the tall
straight pines free from the long
moss which are a marked charac-
teristIc of this section; its pure wa
tiers, it's delicious fruits, its salt air,
It's birds, its flowers, renders it a
home for the tired brain and weary
heart. We grew surprised in this
little city OF ten years growth to see
the church and school buildings,
the handsome dwellings,, the flower
gardens, the cultivation of the pine
apple, quava, pinto peach, banana,
grapes, tea plants growing to some
extent, and the general thrift and
progress on every side, where we
expected to see q semi wilderness.
The morning of the 26th opens
bright and we leave reluctantly our
new round friends and pleasant
quarters and tske the road again.
At Sanford, waiting six hours for
the train to take us to TarVare8.
We have come 10 the conclusion that
travelling has its disadvantages il
this state. That the railroads and
the hotels are united and cemented
in one vast company to swindle The
tourist out of time and money, and
delays are so numerous.
The genylemen-how impatient a
man eau bel nearly kicked the heels
oil their boots. The ladies resort
ed to chewing the cud-'gum l be
lieve they call it! while the fans
dew right and left to ward off the
sand which came like the sand
storms of the great Sahara, filing
eyes, nostrils, and mouth, setting
every one to coughing and hall
strangling. The citizens said ii
was an unusual wind. | hope II
was. In this sunny land you can
not rely every time on what is told
you about the state. 1t may be the
fault of the climate, or early train
ing. Sanford has nothing to rec
Ommend it to the eye of the stran
ger, save its little park on Lake
Monroe set with Bermud grass and
tall paImettos. With many delays
we have reached Eustice, on Lake
Eusuce, opposite Ft. Mason II is
not tourishing. The country
surrounding it is rolling pine land,
full OF beautiful, clear sparkling
lakes with numerous groves and
handsome residences on their Dor
ders, 1t is truly the lake region
aud orange belt of Florida.
Like some other places in the
state the memorable freeze has sti-
He'd business and there are many
ou5 OF employment. Property is
etill held at enormous figures and
bat little changing hands. The
people are bouyed Hp, however, at
the prospect Of another railroad, and
in the early division of Orange
county that the county seat will be
located here, and then a boom in
business Two miles out from the
town on an elevation gently stopine
to the lakes, and almost surround
ed by them, stands the palatial
home OF the Blshops-bankerS OF
EIstjce. 1t towers amidst fairy
ike sceue of orange groves, flower
beds, willow oaks draped in long
moss, oleander trees in full bloom
and few towering pines. A ltsit
boat whose sails were as white as
the breast Of sea-gull, and frou
which floated the music Of many in
stfumentS mingled with swee
voices, met us to watt us over tbs
lake. The new moon hung low OF
the horizeu and great white sta
came from under ieeting clou / il
the fast disappearing twilight
which is so short in this semi-tropi
Cal climate-as We neared the oppo
site shore. Langpld odors as
from unseen shores stepped the al
and mingled with the strains OF tn
low dreamy music, and
ga hint of some remembered bliss
in the half forgotten past, seemed
TO steal DER the memory. The no
BILE mother with smile stood nea